Delhi, beware! Swine flu danger on the rise in the national capital as temperatures fall

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New Delhi: The dipping temperatures in the national capital have left the dangers of dengue and chikungunya behind, but have paved the way for the H1N1 influenza, also known as swine flu.

Children have been complaining about flu-like symptoms and the doctors claim that many of them show signs of swine flu.

On Thursday, the minimum temperature recorded in Delhi was 8 degrees Celsius, while the maximum temperature was clocked at 24 degrees Celsius.

A minimum temperature of 8 degrees Celsius and 9 degrees Celsius has been predicted for Friday and Saturday, respectively, by the India Meteorological Department (IMD).

According to a report in DNA, Dr SP Byotra, Senior Consultant with the Department of Internal Medicine, Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, said: “This is the time when cases of viral fever and swine flu go up. We are witnessing a rise in the number of patients with viral fever, bodyache, vomiting and cough. The cases of H1N1 surface during this time of the year and then continue for long.” Two cases of swine flu have already been reported from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS).

“The cases have started to come up. Symptoms of viral fever and H1N1 are similar in the initial stages. We are taking preventive measures and suggesting medicines to children,” said Dr Sangeeta Subudhi, Senior Consultant with the Department of Pediatrics, Fortis Hospital, Vasant Kunj.

Since the symptoms of swine flu are exactly what one suffers in a normal flu, it is hard for the influenza to be detected and diagnosed. Symptoms of H1N1 include fever, cough, vomiting, nasal secretion, fatigue, headache, bodyache and sore throat.

Precautionary measures advised by doctors are frequent hand washing and avoiding crowded places. As a standard treatment, Tamiflu needs to be administered to the patient, but only on prescription.

Besides swine flu, doctors are also reporting cases of pneumonia, typhoid and malaria.